Nigeria needs 6.5million Police – Jerry Gana

MINNA: Former Minister and delegate at the ongoing National Conference, Professor Jerry Gana has disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force is totally inadequate and below the United Nations standard and the country needs no less than 6.5 million Policemen.

Gana who stated this while fielding questions from newsmen in Minna after the dedication of the new Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Minna on Sunday also praised the Nigeria Army saying it is one of the best in the world.

According to him “the Nigeria Police Force needs to recruit more men to increase its ranks as the current number of the men are not enough to secure the lives and properties of the people in the country.

“To our amazement at the National Conference, we were told that throughout the federal Republic of Nigeria, we have less than 400, 000 men in the police force, that is so inadequate for a nation of 170 million people.

“By UN standard, we should have about 6.5 million police at the average of one policeman to 400 people but for now, we have less than 400,000 which is not even up to a million which is totally unacceptable, it is not even up to a million.

“At the national conference, we are coming up with the suggestion that we need to have more men in the police, well trained, well organised and well documented.”

He expressed confidence that if given the chance, the Nigerian Army can defeat the Boko Haram sect and that the invitation of the international community to help out in the war is because the army is careful not to commit any crime against humanity urging Nigerians to understand with the army and government.

He said “the problem we are facing is a serious problem because the enemy you do not know may even be next door or even in your pocket.

“The Nigeria security forces especially our army is one of the best in the world, Nigeria army is one of the best peacekeeping army in the world, we should be proud of our army. We should recognise that the Nigeria Army has done well but we are not fighting against that kind of armed insurgency, this is something different, this is not army versus another army, it is an army versus an army we cannot see.

“The army have to operate now so that they will not commit crime against humanity. The Nigerian Army, if they use their might, they can level the whole forest in Nigeria in a day but they cannot do that against their own people, this is why it is important to know that it is not a failure of the army to invite international forces.”

He also expressed optimism that the kidnapped Chibok girls would be released soon, “by the Grace of God, the girls would be rescued soon, we only fear that they are being used for protection because right now, we don’t knkw their exact location, that is why the army ca not just bombard the forest. We need to be extremely careful for the sake of the girls.”

Professor Gana then assured Nigerians that the National Conference would try to recommend solutions to the serious problems facing the country stressing that the protection of the lives and properties of Nigerians are top most in the mind of the delegates at the conference and they would ensure that they come up with recommendations that would ensure the safety of every Nigerian.